Metaphors We Politicize By: The Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Political Discourse and Though

Abstract

The Metaphor has been traditionally understood in the Western philosophical tradition as a rhetorical device used in ornamental language, mainly in literary contexts. In 1980 a new and revolutionary theory was put forward by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. In their work Metaphors We Live By, the authors lay out an account of the metaphor as a conceptual and cognitive device which permeates the way we think, act and interact with the world. For Lakoff and Johnson, metaphors are not a language phenomenon but rather a phenomenon of thought, which allow us to conceptualize domains that we could not be able to develop without them; metaphors are not a mere literary device but rather they pervade our everyday thoughts and affect our internal representations and vision of the world. In works like Don’t Think of an Elephant (2004)and Moral Politics (2002) Lakoff applies his theory of the cognitive metaphor to political language and explores the intersection of cognitive and political science. The metaphors used in political discourse, argues Lakoff, are not neutral but rather signs of a deeply ingrained conceptual system that has direct repercussions on our social and political thought. The aim of this dissertation will be twofold. Firstly I will analyze the theoretical framework of the metaphor for which I will offer a review of the available written literature, from Lakoff and Johnson to authors like Zoltan K¨ovecses, Murray Knowles and Rosamund Moon among others. Secondly, I will employ a corpus-based methodology to elaborate a practical study of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory applied to the analysis of the socio-political speech of one or more conservative politicians. My goal will ultimately be to evidence the cognitive significance of the metaphor through the examination of the language used by modern-day conservative politicians.A metáfora foi entendida tradicionalmente na tradición filosófica occidental como a dispositivo retórico empregado na linguaxe ornamental, principalmente en contextos literarios. En 1980 George Lakoff e Mark Johnson propuxeron unha teoría revolucionaria. No seu traballo Metaphors We Live By, os autores expón unha explicación da metáfora como un dispositivo conceptual e cognitivo que penetra na forma en que pensamos, actuamos e interactuamos co mundo. Para Lakoff e Johnson, as metáforas non son un fenómeno da linguaxe senón un fenómeno do pensamento, que nos permiten conceptualizar dominios que non poderiamos desenvolver sen eles; as metáforas non son un mero dispositivo literario, senón que penetran nos nosos pensamentos cotiáns e afectan ás nosas representacións internas e á visión do mundo. En obras como Don’t Think of an Elephant (2004) e Moral Politics (2002) Lakoff aplica a súa teoría da metáfora cognitiva á linguaxe política e explora a intersección da ciencia cognitiva e política. As metáforas utilizadas en O discurso político, argumenta Lakoff, non é neutral senón que son signos dun concepto profundamente arraigado sistema que ten repercusións directas no noso pensamento social e político. O meu obxectivo nesta disertación será dobre. En primeiro lugar, analizarei o marco teórico da metáfora para o que vou ofrecer unha revisión da literatura escrita dispoñible, desde Lakoff e Johnson ata autores como Zoltan Kovecses, Murray Knowles e Rosamund Moon entre outros. En segundo lugar, empregaré unha metodoloxía baseada no corpus para elaborar un estudo práctico da Teoría da Metáfora Conceptual aplicada á análise do discurso sociopolítico dun ou máis políticos conservadores. O meu obxectivo será finalmente demostrar a importancia cognitiva da metáfora a través do exame da linguaxe empregada polos políticos conservadores actuais.